Smok Scar P3/P5 Pod Mod Review

Hello again folks, I’ve got another side by side review for you today. A couple of products that are from the same company, of similar design, almost siblings so to speak.

Smok have been around for what feels like forever and have a tonne of different devices under their belts, so they know what they are talking about when it comes to vape gear. This latest pair of products sees them really putting their wits to the test, by not only jumping in on the POD Mod game.. again.. (the RPM40 and RPM80 were their first), but releasing an internal battery AND an external 18650 variation of the same product!

Let’s take a look at the Smok Scar P3 and P5 Pod Mods!

These devices were sent through to me directly from Smok, for the purposes of this review.

P3 Gallery

P5 Gallery

First Impression

My first impression of both of these devices is pretty good! They’re not only really well presented in their boxes, but also come with all of the accessories you might need to get going straight away. Apart from the usual gear such as USB cable, manual, spares etc.., both Smok Scar versions also come with 2 different PODs and coils. This is to be able to use Smok’s already established coil range the RPM coils, as well as their newly created range the RPM2.

The general look and feel of these is quite good, with both being quite solid feeling devices, and nice to hold. Their zinc-alloy and leather outer frame offer quite a futuristic/tech style, whilst the rubberised finish around the front display and bottom of the devices feels great but is also functional, limiting any damage caused by accidental drops or placing them down on hard surfaces.

There are a few other specs that also impress me about these devices. Both the SCAR-P3 and SCAR-P5 are IP67 waterproof and can withstand water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for 30 minutes. Not only that but they are also dustproof (IP67) and shockproof to prevent dust ingress and minimise damage from accidental drops.

Throw in a maximum wattage of 80 Watts, colour screen, excellent flavour and great battery life, these two siblings are pretty impressive.

The differences

P3

Dimensions:
P3 110 x 27 x 32.3 mm

Battery:
Internal 2000mah battery

Charge Port:
USB Type-C

P5

Dimensions:
P5 117 x 28 x 35.8 mm

Battery:
External Single 18650

Charge Port:
Micro USB

The Main Body

As I mentioned earlier the outer shell of the Scar P3 and P5 is made from a zinc alloy, with leather inserts and a rubberised finish giving both devices a really modern tech look, quite masculine, with a style reminisce of those from other brands such as Vaporesso and Voopoo.

The Scar Series of POD Mods are very typical of most POD Mods right now, they’re larger devices with drop in magnetic PODs, large airflow, Fire button, Up/Down Buttons and charge port.

The fit and finish here is really nice, with smooth satin and gloss coatings over the zinc alloy, and perfectly seated leather filling in the gaps, offering a little bit of richness to the otherwise masculine frames.

The rubberised finish on part of the device, is not just cosmetic, sure it feels very nice in the hand and also gives some grip making this harder to drop, but it also acts as a seal for the IP67 water resistance. In particular, the P5 with it’s spring action flip battery door at the bottom, uses the rubberised coating to create a seal to minimise water ingress in the battery bay, also for the plug for the charge port.

The PODs

The PODs for the SCAR P3 and P5 are great. Made from what looks like PCTG plastic, they are clear enough to see your fluid level through, but also tinted to give a nice shique look. The PODs have a fixed drip tip that is build into the POD, it’s nice and comfortable allowing plenty of airflow through as well as stopping the hot vapour from being too hot on the lips.

Your coils are inserted through the bottom with a simple push, and are sealed with Orings from the coils. You also don’t have to stress about which way to put the coils in either, the PODs are designed to only allow them to sit in one direction.

On top you have your fill port with silicone stopper for filling on the go without removing the POD, which is convenient.

With each device, you’ll receive 2 PODs. One that takes RPM coils, and another that takes RPM2 coils, a great extra thrown in to be honest. The RPM2 coils are fantastic.

Looking across the P3 and P5 you’ll notice that the PODs are not the same, the P3 Pods are smaller but taller, where the P5 Pods are wider but shallower in height. It’s a small thing, but I kind of wish Smok would have normalised things across these two mods. If the PODs were identical, it would have been a huge benefit so that users could share PODs and coils between both setups. I don’t think that this is a big ask, and in all honesty, it would help Smok with not having to keep up production of a POD that is only just slightly different than it’s sibling.

Coils

As always, the RPM and RPM2 coils are great. Fantastic flavour with minimal seepage, these coils put out some great flavour, and the fact that they are interchangeable across so many devices is a fantastic benefit.

You’ll receive x2 Coils with each kit. A 0.4 ohm Mesh RPM coil for use with the RPM Pod, and a 0.16 ohm Mesh coil for use with the RPM2 Pod.
There is a big size difference between these coils, as you can see in the picture above, the RPM2 coils make the original RPM coils look tiny!

Airflow

Where to start on airflow. I was really disappointed with this unfortunately, as while the airflow is really great from both the P3 and P5, it is a really open airflow, with no way of closing it down. The airflow seems almost perfectly designed for the coils that come with the devices, and the wattages that are recommended to vape at, unfortunately not everyone likes a big open airflow, and not everyone is going to use Smok’s choice of coils with their own device.

I can see users ordering other RPM and RPM2 coils besides the ones provided in the kit, and with any other coil, you’re likely to need to adjust the airflow. This is a big miss as far as I’m concerned, and it wouldn’t have taken a lot of imagination on Smok’s part to offer an adjustable airflow somehow. Even just some rubber inserts would have been useful!

The screen

The screen is nice, it’s not a super duper quality screen but it does the job well, it’s inset back a little ways from the front glass giving off a bit of a prism vibe, when you look at it from the side. I’m guessing the further back it is in the main body the more protected it is.

One thing Smok is doing really well lately with it’s screens is the layout. The data presented there is really easy to read and in a format where it is easy to see what you’re looking for.

There is also an option on the P3 and P5 to change the color of some of the screen elements too 😉

Battery

The batteries are obviously different between the 2 devices, with the P3 having an on-board 2000mAH battery, and the P5 having a spring loaded battery door for an external 18650 battery.

Charging the two devices regardless of the battery type is also a rather unfortunate discrepancy. You see the P3 has a USB Type-C charge port, and the P5 has a Micro USB charge port. I get that the P3 has an internal battery and that should offer the faster charging, but really? Different types of ports on such similar devices? Come on Smok it wouldn’t be any extra work to put a USB Type-C port on the P5 even if it’s really only meant for software updates.

One thing I really do dig about the battery on the P5 is this really cool spring loaded swing door at the bottom. It has a neat little push button on the side near the bottom of the mod, that when pushed, flings the battery bay open all of the way without having to pull it open once it’s released it’s catch. I know small things amuse small minds, but I’ve been flinging this battery door open all week!

Filling

The fill port for filling the PODS is at the top near the mouth piece, and on par with other devices, Smok have provided a silicone plug covering a decent sized fill hole so that you can fill your POD easily.

Unfortunately it’s not as easy as it could have been, and this is something that could also have been easily avoided. The silicone plug flips up, but does not move around, and even if it did, the shape of it gets in the way when trying to fill using a chubby gorilla bottle. Don’t get me wrong, this is not the worst designed fill port, but it could have easily been made better to use.

Any Leaks?

A little bit of seepage from time to time from the bottom of the coils, but this is usually happening between temperature switches. (Going outside in the cold, then coming inside to the warm heater) Otherwise, I’m not seeing any leakage from the seams of the POD at all, nor any real flooding of the coils.
Since I’ve seen a little seepage, it might be a good idea to store the POD’s outside of the device, if you’re going to store it for more than a few days.

Usage

Usage is really easy, there’s not a real lot to these devices.

• 5 clicks of the fire button to turn on/off
• 3 clicks of the fire button to lock the power
• Hold both Up/Down buttons to lock the wattage
• Click fire and down button to clear puff counter
• Click fire and up button to change color of display
  

Pros:

• Flawless operation
• Great flavour
• Lightweight
• Instant Power
• Use RPM and RPM2 coils
• Great build quality
• Adjustable Power

Cons:

• Airflow is not adjustable
• Drip tip not removeable
• Different PODs for both (could have been the same)
• A little seepage from the coils
• PODs are not interchangeable between models.
• Filling can be a little cumbersome
• Different USB port types for each mod?
  

Where to Buy:

You can purchase both the Scar P3 and Scar P5 directly through Smok on their online store. Prices start from around, $49.99 USD for either, which I think is a reasonable price for what you get. They have only just been released, so availability might be an issue straight away.

Conclusion

All in all I found both the Scar P3 and P5 a very good vape, they’re pretty sturdy Pod mods, with a lot of wattage to play around with. The airflow is spot on for someone who takes big lung draws, with the power to give a nice warm vape even with that big airflow.

There were a couple of negatives of course, one being the differing Pods between the two, it would have been nice to have seen these be interchangeable. Also both devices using the same type of charging port would have been nice too. But the biggest issue I have with these is the total lack of airflow control. What the hell Smok? Really? No airflow adjustment? This is a huge oversight and something that will lose them buyers for these two devices. Having adjustable airflow would have opened these devices up to consumers that want battery life but also wanting lower powered coils, not to mention those that like a little bit of restricted airflow. You could always tape up one side but you shouldn’t need to.

Anyway, all in all Smok have nearly hit the target with these, they’re both great devices, with fantastic flavour, there’s just a few small “Cons” here that some users might not be able to see past.

Shane Presser

Shane Presser has been vaping since 2013, and has extensive experience with advanced equipment, coil builds and DIY mixing. He is the man behind VapersGarage, and also more recently Aussie Vape Stores, a resource to help vapers find their nearest Vape Shops, and eLiquid Vendors.